After dropping the first two games on their own home court, the Boston Celtics will attempt to defy the odds and steal a game on the road as they head to Cleveland for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Finals playoff series against the Cavaliers.
Celtics vs. Cavs 2017 Game 3: Game time, TV channel, and live stream for Eastern Conference finals
Isaiah Thomas is out with strained hip. That doesn’t bode well for a Celtics team heading to Cleveland down 2-0.
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
Boston will be without All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, who aggravated a right hip injury in Game 2. He will miss the rest of the postseason as he tries to recover.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are at full strength after their dominant Game 2 performance in Boston. LeBron James orchestrated a blowout of historic proportions, taking a playoff-record 41-point lead into the half and going up as much as 50 points.
Cleveland ended up winning, 130-86, with solid performances from James (30 points, four steals, three blocks), Kyrie Irving (23 points, 8-of-11 shooting), and Kevin Love (21 points, 12 rebounds). And the Cavaliers’ smothering defense left only Boston’s rookie Jaylen Brown to lead the team with 19 points.
Without Thomas, the Celtics will have to play the point guard position by committee. Boston’s got two young, hard-nosed guards in Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, and undersized two-guard Avery Bradley will likely see time at the lead guard spot, as well.
But without Thomas, who already had a rough postseason — losing his sister and then his front tooth — things look bleak for the Celtics heading on the road.
Be it a blowout or wire-to-wire, Game 3’s a game to tune into. Here’s how you can watch it:
Game 3: Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
DAY: Sunday, May 21
TIME: 8:30 p.m. ET
CHANNEL: TNT
WHERE: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
SERIES: 2-0, Cavaliers
LIVE STREAM: TNT
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